The floor plan affects the way you use the space in your home. Carefully analyze the floor plan in terms of your specific needs. The size of your home does not always determine how well it will work for you and the way you live. Being able to differentiate between wants and needs can be challenging during such an exciting time. One way to decide what you would like in your new home is to make a list of the positive and negative traits of your present and/or previous home(s). It's a great way to start narrowing down the features you want and identifying those you don't need.

Keep these general rules in mind:

1. Good floor plans have a mix of public and private spaces.
2. Ideally, the family room is not located next to the bedrooms.
3. Desirable features include plenty of storage space, an attached garage, and easy access to the yard.
4. The laundry room should be conveniently located.
5. There should be a bathroom in each level.
6. The master bedroom should have its own bath.
7. Open floor plans work well with traffic flow, but also channel noise from one room to another.
8. Square footage does not always equal usable space.
9. Make sure the floor plan you have selected works well on the lot you choose. A narrow lot is ideal for home designs that rise up instead of spread out. Scenic or sloping lots may require a home with large panoramic windows and spacious outdoor decks.
10. If your family spends a lot of time outdoors, you'll want easy access to your yard, patios and decks.

In addition to the things we have listed, the National Association of Homebuilders website provides useful resources for homeowners.